The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-03-04

7ASSB
ing" -,
Before the de1irium set in which |
ushered in the final stages Of his FAST
the patient had very pleasant dreams' |
a popularity of which was that they |
affected him as realities, insomuch that |
though told by his friends that they |
were but dreams he could not for more
than a moment or two remain sure that
this was the case. He laughed heartily
at the recollection of the merry jokes
which had passed during gay meet
ing he had had-as he supposed, with
two Yorkshire Baronets whom he dined,
and told with glee (Which, considering
his approaching end, seems almost to
merit the peculiar descriptive term
ghoulish, recently applied to the Presi-
dent.) how they had pushed about the
bottle.
The mental incoherence indicated by
the inability to distinguish dreams from
realities passed rapidly into delirium,
during which he was perpetually NUT
terinG in indistihct tones, with great
restlessness and agitation. There were
now marked signs Of fever, the SKIN
and extremities being Sometimes Of
burning heat and sometimes cold and
cIammv. His pulse became feeble and
irregular, and his respiration was for
the first time during the progress OF his
illness laborious and painful. he be-
came cross-eyed on the thirty-third day
of total abstinence from food, and conf
planned that he saw double. but the
sensitiveness Of the retina was in
creased, not, as one might have eX-
pected would be the case, diminished.
| insomuch that, though till this stage OF
his illness he had borne well the light
which came through the window OF his
/ bedroom. he shrieked now when the
| window blind was drawn.
In this case, &c have said. we have
| stronger evidence of the power which
/ the human frame possesses to eH0ure
deprivation of food than any of the fool
/ ish fasting men of recent times have
! afforded. because they have all taken
Iiouid food. whereas, except from his
hath (Which, as he said, produced in
Tin, the most delightful sensations)
our patient bad no relief from either
hunger or thirst.
'Fhe other case I shall cite, while re-
sembling Tie HASTINGS Of Succi, Tanner
and Mcrlatti in being a fest from sollC
food onlv-as also in being voluntary
Wae more remarkable than theirs IN be
inc of much longer duration Ayouns
man of studious and melancholy ma
ture began a somewhat severe coUrs'
of abstinence to cure certain painful
symptoms of Indigestion by which h'
was troubled. His plan was to abstain
from solid food for a time, taking onl,
a little water daily, into which som
| orange Juice had been squeezed. From
the amount given by DR.. William super
, stition as Vel as indigestion Woul
seem to have had something TO do wit
: the form of folly into which this PIE
+ presently 9eveloped. The young ma
f withdrew from business and the Sc
f eiety of his friends, took lodgings p
, an obscure street, and entered on
avstam of continued fasting, enlivene
, nv shorthand writing. He began t
: write out the Bible III shorthand, an
! SaH proceeded as far is the secOud boo
. of KINGS WfCr circumstances owe
e which, by that time, he had no eontrt
+ induced him to desist. He persisted
= his plan for fifty-one days without faI
= inc In frmuess of purpose. But abou
this time. finding his strength failln
: him, and that he was no longer able
rise from his bed, he began 90 suspe'
n that he might be mistaken in imagil
n inq-as until now he had doHc-tl'
Y he was preterDaturally supported an
n was presently to be m ld5 the object
n some marvellous manifestations follow
2 inc an abstinence so eXtraordinar,
% His friends found out his retreat aboI
,s ten days after he thus began to lo
l. faith in the virtue Of fasting. The
,v persuaded him to- accept the mihistr
Il tions of a medical nun. II was on 81
-s sixtv-frst day of his fast that he w
- first seen by DR.. william, whose rep"
o. of the case / have followed. He "
1r then singularly (and yet perhaps n
10 so very singullrly) EN- Iclated. y
"a abdomen was cOncave, his limbs so
; tenuated that the shape of the bon
28 could be clearly distinguished. /
NJ cheek-bones stood out, giving his ia
4 a CHASTITY appearance. He looked
of fact, like a skeleton prepared by DIR
j. ing the muscles upon it in their natui
al situation" His mind was imbecile
yo that is to say, it was more obvious
ra imbecile than it had been before
"A entered upon his fast or had made mt
m progress with it.
be So far as can be judged, this you
re man might have been saved if Dr.. w
-e- Ian had followed a suitable method
re treatment But he allowed his patio
mr. to take much more food than was in
Sc cious at such a time. Three pints
o. food were administered daily-name
Mt a pint Of milk for breakfast, a pint
cb mutton broth boiled with barley
ais dinner, and as much rice milk for 81
er per,-from the third day after Dr.. "
sts Ian had seen the starved man. AT
IS total abstinence from solid food
re sixty days, this allowance was altoge
er too great. One-third of it wOl
tai have been too much. Milk was a
ate quite unsuitable, being more diffic
full of digestion by an enfeebled stOms
,ed than even solid food Yet for
lot first few days it seemed as though
led unfortunate man was recovering.
nat regained flesh and strength, becom
to also cheerful, and his mind recover
he some degree Of steadiness. On
ex- fifth day he showed signs Of restl'
llv ness. On the morning Of the sixth
rec lost all recollection, and before II
an- night he was deliriOus and unmana
ro- able His pulse increased in frequeH
us his skin became hot and dry, and
nth whole frame was shaken by const
md tremors- He remained IN this state
ind the eleventh day, emaclation lncr'